Virtual Boy audio very closely resembles PC Engine audio

[spenoza]

So, someone posted, back in 2006, that they thought their VB sounded a lot like the PCE. Well, I was randomly reading about the Virtual Boy today and stumbled across the audio specs. Turns out it uses 6-bit wavetable sound across 5 channels, with a 6th channel for noise. The capabilities are very close to those of the PC Engine. Here's more info:

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=audio_overview

[Dicer]

If I recall the VB and the PC-FX use the same processor as well, or a damn near close one.

[esteban]

Ha! That's pretty kool.

I never realized the cousins were this close.

[EvilEvoIX]

small world.  Wasn't the PC Engine originally pitched to Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Hardware?

[Punch]

I swear I remember seeing an early SNES tech demo cartridge with a freely rotateable Mode 7 plane with the NEC logo texture hidden behind it... but I can't find it anymore

[spenoza]

I swear I remember seeing an early SNES tech demo cartridge with a freely rotateable Mode 7 plane with the NEC logo texture hidden behind it... but I can't find it anymore

Come on. Top result on my first search. http://www.nintendoplayer.com/unreleased/dsp-1/

[elmer]

If I recall the VB and the PC-FX use the same processor as well, or a damn near close one.

99%+ the same CPU. Nintendo got NEC to add 6 new instructions to their version of the CPU, but they're non-critically important additions.

That's why I got the VB guys to beta-test my PC-FX compiler patches ... they actually have an active (if tiny) homebrew scene for their machine.

One huge difference between the two machine's use of the CPU, is that Nintendo went "cheap", as they often did, and gave it a 16-bit memory bus, with wait-states.

The PC-FX runs a 32-bit memory bus, without wait-states.

That's a pretty-important difference when it comes to performance, especially on early RISC architectures like the V810.

[spenoza]

So the VB is actually very similar to the PC-FX in terms of CPU and audio capabilities. Interesting...

[Michirin9801]

I've been wanting to know what were the VB's audio specs for a while as I too have noticed the similarities in the sound, I knew it was wavetable but, well, now I know how it compares to the PCE!
Not bad at all, but let me tell you something from experience, having a channel that can switch between both white noise and wavetables really goes a long way when it comes to making good PSG drums, at least a whole lot better than a channel dedicated to playing just noise...
Do you know if the VB is capable of playing samples?

[Black Tiger]

I've been wanting to know what were the VB's audio specs for a while as I too have noticed the similarities in the sound, I knew it was wavetable but, well, now I know how it compares to the PCE!
Not bad at all, but let me tell you something from experience, having a channel that can switch between both white noise and wavetables really goes a long way when it comes to making good PSG drums, at least a whole lot better than a channel dedicated to playing just noise...
Do you know if the VB is capable of playing samples?

Yes:

[Michirin9801]

I've been wanting to know what were the VB's audio specs for a while as I too have noticed the similarities in the sound, I knew it was wavetable but, well, now I know how it compares to the PCE!
Not bad at all, but let me tell you something from experience, having a channel that can switch between both white noise and wavetables really goes a long way when it comes to making good PSG drums, at least a whole lot better than a channel dedicated to playing just noise...
Do you know if the VB is capable of playing samples?

Yes:

Wow, not only can it play samples, but they sound quite a bit better than samples on the PCE! I imagine it's because of the higher bit-depth and the better sample rate that a more powerful CPU would allow...
That said though, the lack of bass and percussion in the music bothers me...

[Black Tiger]

Afaik the music is ripped straight from the PCE version.

The sound may not be accurate, since it's emulation footage.

[Michirin9801]

Afaik the music is ripped straight from the PCE version.

The sound may not be accurate, since it's emulation footage.

In that case, then the lack of that 6th wavetable channel is probably part of the problem... Unless you can somehow play samples on the Noise channel (which I doubt you can)

[spenoza]

What little documentation I found suggests that channel 6 is dedicated to noise, and 1-5 cannot do noise.

[ccovell]

While most VB games that I've played never did anything as layered or interesting as what you hear on the PCE, I do recommend the Red Alarm soundtrack.  It has long, hummable attempts at GB/VB techno on each stage.